Hollywood faith : holiness, prosperity, and ambition in a Los Angeles church / Gerardo Marti.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Marti, Gerardo, 1965-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Christianity and culture--California--Los Angeles.

Christianity and culture.

Church work.

Ethnicity--Religious aspects--Christianity.

Ethnicity.

Hollywood (Los Angeles, Calif.)--Religion.

Hollywood (Los Angeles, Calif.).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (250 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New Brunswick, NJ : Rutgers University Press, c2008.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

In Christianity, as with most religions, attaining holiness and a higher spirituality while simultaneously pursuing worldly ideals such as fame and fortune is nearly impossible. So how do people pursuing careers in Hollywood's entertainment industry maintain their religious devotion without sacrificing their career goals? For some, the answer lies just two miles south of the historic center of Hollywood, California, at the Oasis Christian Center. In Hollywood Faith, Gerardo Marti shows how a multiracial evangelical congregation of 2,000 people accommodates itself to the entertainment industry and draws in many striving to succeed in this harsh and irreverent business. Oasis strategically sanctifies ambition and negotiates social change by promoting a new religious identity as "champion of life"-an identity that provides people who face difficult career choices and failed opportunities a sense of empowerment and endurance. The first book to provide an in-depth look at religion among the "creative class," Hollywood Faith will fascinate those interested in the modern evangelical movement and anyone who wants to understand how religion adapts to social change.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Preface and Acknowledgments

1. Introduction: Negotiating Holiness and Hollywood

2. The Making of a Star: Hollywood as Destination and Dream

3. Love and Hate between Hollywood and Christianity

4. Save the World, Starting in Hollywood

5. Celebrity, Heartache, and the Pressure to Make It

6. Religion: Playing at a Theater Near You

7. Fade to Black

8. Becoming Champions of Life

9. Conclusion: Religion in the Era of Identity Commodification

Appendix: Research Methodology

Notes

Bibliography

Index

About the Author

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1-281-80172-0

9786611801724

0-8135-4563-3

OCLC:

476191011